January 30, 2009

Last year we did an 8-person indoor century as a fundraiser for Locks of Love in my mom's memory. 5+ hours in the saddle got a little tedious, but it was well worth it, and our humble event raised over $7k and three ponytails.

Considering the economic climate as well as how many friends and family we nagged for contributions last year, it became clear that if we're to do another charity event, we'll need to raise the bar. So, here's the plan. Our hope is to do an 8-person relay, 3,000 mile simulated ride across the country on a Computrainer. It should take 7-8 days of each rider doing 3-hours per day.

We have a very worthy charity to benefit from the event - more on that later. Now what we need is a venue to host it. We need a space that can accomodate a couple of monitors, a computer, and two sweaty riders at a time and that will allow us 24/7 access for a week or so. Ideally, we'd set up in a store window so that both the charity and the business can get some exposure. So, if you have any ideas for an appropriate space, please contact me. Though we'll live to regret it, there are eight of us who look forward to riding a trainer for three hours a day.

January 29, 2009

I hate sites that have videos of cyclists wiping out and getting injured. I fail to see the humor in them. Call me crazy, but I just don't understand what's so funny about watching some poor guy moving along one minute and writhing in pain the next. On the other hand, if it's some lazy oaf on a Segway....

January 27, 2009

We're back from the Doug Stern Swim Camp in Curacao, and here's the abbreviated report.

This was the 22nd edition of the trip originated by Doug Stern. Doug passed away in 2007, but his presence is still felt there. The host hotel dedicated their new 50-meter Infinity pool to Doug at a sunset ceremony in which champagne was sprayed into the pool from all sides.

The typical day included a coached swim in the morning. Swim workouts were supervised by coaches Boris Talan and Vlad Bartchouk, both of whom are tremendously talented. After a big buffet breakfast Mike Halstead (elite triathlete from New Paltz) and I led 1-2 bike rides each day. The roads in Curacao are generally not in great condition, but Mike scouted out some challenging and interesting routes. After the ride there was an afternoon open water swim, which was typically followed by mass consumption of Amstel, Bright or other watery Dutch beer.

In addition to the regular schedule, there was a great ride to a beach BBQ and a schooner cruise. 17 of the 19 campers (including City Coacher Jeannine Bardo) were veterans, and they've built a great group that manages to find a balance between training and relaxing. The group was diverse in terms of age, hometown, and ability. It's yet another testament to Doug that everyone was so supportive of one another, and so much fun.

Curacao is a beautiful island and the people couldn't have been nicer. (Well, except for the guy who broke into our room and stole my computer and our cameras, but even that couldn't spoil such a great trip.)

And in case you're wondering, the little lady perched on my finger is Kiki - the hotel's parrot in residence.

January 22, 2009

On January 22, 2009, friends and co-workers Chris Solarz and Matt Ferrisi will embark on the Ultimate Ride, an attempt to break the Guinness World Record™ for the fastest ride through the entire New York City Subway system. The ride will start at the Far Rockaway-Mott Ave station in Queens at 1:30 PM ET, and end at the Rockaway Parkway Canarsie station in Brooklyn around 11:30 AM ET the following day. Solarz and Ferrisi expect to smash the current record by making local stops at all 468 subway stations while finishing comfortably under the previously-thought-impossible 24 hours barrier.

The Ultimate Ride began as a dream of becoming world champions. Solarz and Ferrisi turned this dream into fuel for late-night planning and preparation. Ferrisi, a Quantitative Analyst at a large investment management firm, and Solarz, a Senior Analyst, spent 16 weeks developing proprietary simulation software in order to analyze all conceivable combinations of routes beginning at all 468 stations at each of 1,440 different times (every minute in a single day). They meticulously analyzed trillions of solutions and found the single shortest route.

However, the quantitative modeling of the itinerary was only the beginning of their preparations. Over the course of six weeks, Solarz and Ferrisi painstakingly surveyed all 50 subway transfers, drawing maps of subway exits for efficient transfers. They crafted contingency plans and noted which stations have bathrooms. They know exactly where on each platform to wait for each train, and exactly when each train is expected to arrive. The duo made numerous dry runs and is superbly confident in their chosen route and expected finish time.

January 20, 2009

Greetings from Curacao. We're muddling through down here at the Doug Stern Swim Camp. Mike Halstead and I are coaching the cycling groups, and there are daily swims in the 50 meter hotel pool, as well as afternoon open water swims. Temps are in the low 80's every day. Saturday we finish the camp with a 2-mile ocean swim.

January 19, 2009

Sooner or later all the people of the world will
have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby
transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of
brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all
human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and
retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

January 12, 2009

And you thought this was going to be a Golden Globes report, didn't you? Congratulations to Nate Horne for winning the Central Park Track Club's Male Multisport Athlete of the Year award. Plus, I'm sure Jeannine Bardo says that it was an honor just to be nominated in her category.